The Fire Within
by Go-Colts
Summary: When Zula captures Aang and Sokka, it is up to Katara to save Aang and the world. However, help comes in the unexpected form of Prince Zuko. ZuTara probably.
1. Chapter 1

A/N—This is my first _Avatar_ fanfiction, so please read and review if you want me to update! Flames are welcome.

**Chapter 1**

Prince Zuko stared out into the distance, knowing that the Avatar had eluded him once again. He silently laid down on his raft and looked to the sky, drowning in the sorrows of his defeat. His uncle silently sat next to him, humming a familiar Fire Nation tune. Iroh understood that he couldn't say anything to ease his nephew's pain; despite all he knew about Zuko, not even Iroh understood how deep Zuko's feelings went.

Prince Zuko's greatest fear lie not in death but in failure. And once again, he had failed, just like he had failed to please his father and to regain his honor—how he failed to even defeat one of the Avatar's companions…a _weak_ water bender had gotten the better of him. What's worse…they saved his life, and he couldn't bear that thought. He didn't want to believe that he owed the trio he had been hunting anything; hell, he couldn't, not if he was to bring the Avatar to certain doom.

It was the waterbender that stayed in the forefront of this houghts, however. He understood that she had been trained by a master bender and that the moon was out and that they had been surrounded by everything created from water, but that still didn't justify his loss in his own mind. He had trained bitterly for years; every inch of progress he made was through sacrifice and sheer will. To be defeated so easily was an insult to his honor.

"Uncle?" His uncle stopped humming and turned his kind eyes to him.

"Yes, Prince Zuko?"

"I want to go home." Home. He didn't even know where home was anymore. His uncle, however, just nodded.

"We have some of the finest tea in the fire nation." There it was again. His uncle was always so calm and collected about everything, as if nothing stirred his heart strings. Well, except when Zhao had threatened to kill the spirits. The fire in his uncle's eyes during that fight burned with the same embers that had been in those eyes back when he was a general. Zuko had thought they were long extinguished, broken by the bitter defeat at the hands of the other nations, particularly the earth kingdom. The youth audibly sighed, every second weighing down heavily on his soul.

"What do we do now? Our crew is gone; the Avatar has escaped, and my father would have heard of this defeat by now." Iroh once again silently nodded.

"My brother is an unforgiving man, Zuko. We will not be welcome in the Fire Nation anymore." Zuko was surprised but didn't show it.

"Where are we going to go, then?"

"I know a village a few days South of here. Back in simpler times, I befriended the people of this village. They will give us sanctuary."

"And the Avatar?" Iroh was silent. There wasn't anything to be said; both of them knew that the quest for the Avatar had ended…or so they thought.

**One Month Later**

"Prince Zuko, dinner is ready," said Iroh. The young firebender had been incessantly training in the woods until exhaustion again. It disappointed and saddened Iroh to see his nephew so consumed by his past. Zuko never had a childhood; when the other kids in the fire nation tried to befriend him, they were coldly ignored or patronized. Instead of a loving upbringing, Zuko had known nothing but fear and pain. His father scared him, especially when Zuko made the slightest mistake because then the pain would come. In his household, there was no mercy for him; unlike his sister, he was not born a naturally gifted firebender. Everything came harder to him, and that warranted punishment.

However, as he aged he found a new father figure to cling to. His uncle was that beacon of light that prevented Zuko from losing his humanity. For that, he was thankful, but it wasn't enough. He wasn't sure if anything would be enough.

Nearly a month ago, they arrived at the village they were now in; as his uncle expected, the people greeted him with joy and acceptance, surprising Zuko because the village was not Fire Nation. Zuko did not fit in with the other kids, nor did he have a desire to. He spent his days and some of his nights training, preparing for an encounter that might never come.

"Give me a few more minutes, Uncle."

"You need food and rest to stay strong. Your body can not handle all of the stress you are putting on it." As if in protest, a flash of fire erupted around Zuko's silhouette.

"My body will handle what I ask of it to handle," Zuko said through clenched teeth; he wasn't mad at his uncle. No, he was mad at himself for remembering how weak he was. The worried look on his Uncle's face changed his answer. "Maybe you're right," Zuko said resignedly. He followed his uncle back to the village. To his surprise, he saw smoke. Was there a fire? Both he and his uncle sped up to see what was going on.

"Where is the Avatar?" asked a feminine voice as she slung more fireballs at the houses. The fire nation warriors behind her did the same, emphasizing that they were not beyond killing anyone. Zuko looked at their leader and gasped—it was none other than his sister Zula. Apparently, she had been having trouble in capturing the Avatar too. As if on cue, a giant flying bison flew overhead and landed. The three people Zuko thought he might never see again landed in front of his sister. Neither side had seen him or his Uncle; it was harder to recognize them without the fire nation gear.

"This is between you and me, Zula! Leave the people alone." Zula smirked and launched another fireball at a nearby house. The ensuing duel between the fire nation warriors and the trio did not look too good for the Avatar. Not only were they sorely outnumbered, they had to deal with a master fire bender. Zuko had to admit that the Avatar had gotten considerably stronger, but he was still just a boy. Suddenly, a stray fireball hit one of the nearby villagers, setting him on fire. The water bender dodged a fireball and doused the villager, putting the fire out.

"Uncle, whose side are we on?"

"We choose our own destinies, Prince Zuko." With that, his uncle jumped into the fray, knocking out a few fire benders along the way. He wasn't siding with the Avatar; no, he was trying to protect the villagers. Prince Zuko followed a minute later, only to see his sister and her troops finally knock out the Avatar and the peasant.

"Capture the Avatar! He's unconscious!" she yelled over the din. The water bender continued to fight valiantly, but it was to no avail. His uncle was indeed a powerful fire bender, but the sheer numbers started overwhelming even him. As Zuko fought by their side, he saw a powerful attack knock out the water bender to his left.

"Run, Prince Zuko!" yelled his Uncle, as he left his side and ran into the crowd, maniacally slinging fire left and right. _'I'll save you, Uncle. I promise,'_ Zuko thought to himself before turning around. He almost tripped over the water bender and, as he looked down at her, realized that he couldn't just leave her there to die. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder and looked back one last time. His uncle had burn marks all over his body but still fought on. His sister turned with a sadistic smile in his direction; when she saw his face, the instant realization wiped away her smile. Without another word, Zuko ran off with Katara over his shoulder.

**X.X**

"Princess Zula, what do we do with these prisoners?"

"Stow them away in the ships. Make sure their hands are thoroughly bound; I don't want any bending going on in the ships. Take them back to the fire nation capital and tell the fire lord that they are a gift from his loving daughter."

"Where will you be, your highness?"

"Personal business," she said with a wry smile.

**X.X**

After running for what seemed like hours, Zuko set Katara down in the middle of the forest and collapsed from exhaustion. The young water bender began to waken and, as she made eye contact with the prince, jumped up in self-defense.

"Calm down you ungrateful peasant; I just saved your life." As her memory came back to her, she looked at Zuko in surprise.

"I haven't seen you since…since the North Pole."

"Don't remind me." Suddenly, realization hit Katara.

"Aang! Sokka! Are they okay?" Zuko gave her a cold look.

"For now; it won't be long before my father kills them…or worse." Images of Fire Nation killing her family stirred in Katara's mind.

"No," she visibly gasped, as water droplets around the forest started rising, before falling back into the ground. "We have to save them."

"We?" He looked at her as if she didn't know who she was talking to.

"Yes, we!"

"I could care less about what happens to that cursed Avatar and that buffoon."

"But…don't you care that whole nations will be enslaved or _die_ if we don't save Aang?"

"That's not my concern; there's only one person in the world I still care for. Everyone else can fall into the abyss of fire for all I care."

"You…you heartless, spoiled…failure! Don't you—" She didn't even have time to react as Zuko's hand grasped her neck and slammed her against the tree.

"Don't you ever call me that again," he said, eyes flashing with the fire within. Katara tried to fight back but couldn't. "Listen, you filthy peasant. I only saved your worthless life because I didn't want my Uncle's sacrifice to be in vain. If you ever call me that again, I'll kill you." She didn't doubt his words in the least. He continued with the same bitterness. "If you think you can defeat me like you did at the North Pole, I suggest you reevaluate your situation. The moon spirit is not nearly as strong here and you are not surrounded by water, ice, and snow anymore, so I suggest you learn your place…water tribe scum."

Her face was turning blue as she tried to remove his hand, but it was too strong. After what seemed like an eternity, he mercifully let go. For once, she was out of things to say. However, the awkward silence didn't last long when they heard footsteps. Before Katara could react, she found an arm around her as Zuko grabbed her and climbed up a tree.

"Princess Zula, his trail ends here." She smirked as she looked around.

"Brother, I know you're there!" As if on cue, she looked straight at Katara, though it seemed impossible that she actually saw anything in the total darkness. "You always were inferior!" she continued to yell, causing Zuko to bristle. Katara shifted in his grasp to get more comfortable, causing the slightest noise. In an instant, a stream of fire was launched in her direction. Zuko pushed her out of the way, taking most of the blast head on as he fell down through the branches.

Katara stood there shocked. _Did he just risk his life to save mine?_ She didn't have much time to think, however, as she saw Zula approach her pray. Gathering up all the moisture around her, she quickly encased Zula and her two soldiers in a sheet of ice. Luckily for her, Zuko hadn't broken anything; he was just severely burned. As he saw his sister incapacitated, he jumped up through sheer willpower and, ignoring the pain and fatigue, cut through the forest. A few minutes later, he found Katara behind him as they approached the lake. In perhaps the luckiest event of the night, there was a small fishing boat by the shore, most likely left behind by a villager who had been assaulted by Fire nation. Without saying a word, the two jumped in and sailed off.

After a few minutes, Katara broke the silence.

"Are you okay?" He turned his deep golden eyes to meet hers, sending chills down her spine. There was so much bitterness and hate within those orbs; she wondered what triggered all of it.

"Fine." His posture and wounds showed otherwise. His skin was deeply burned and he had trouble sitting up.

"Stay still." She reached over to touch him and, even in his exhausted state, he struggled to fight. "Please, I can help." Without any energy left, Zuko succumbed to her touch. The feeling he experienced was incredibly relieving, as his burns seemed to heal instantly.

"You—you're a healer?" he said through forced breaths with a hint of admiration; the pain from the other wounds were taking their toll on him.

"Shh, save your energy…Prince Zuko." She couldn't help but admire his resilience. He just didn't give up and…and he risked his life to save hers. She knew he'd never admit it, but she knew that deep down Zuko cared. He cared about her, about the Avatar; he cared about the world.

"Hurry up…peasant." Well, he was still rude. Deep down, Zuko was incredibly thankful for the waterbender next to him. Not only had she saved him from Zula, she was easing his pain. He hadn't felt such a feeling of peace since his mother had died; for once, he didn't think of his failures or his burdens. He just thought of the peaceful serenity of the lake and the rhythmic sound of the boat cutting through the water.

She accidentally hit a wound, and his yelp indicated that it hurt him a lot more than she intended. She expected him to curse at her or do something but he instead just lay still.

"Zuko?" Apparently, he was in a lot worse of shape than he had let on. Prince Zuko had passed out from exhaustion. Katara continued to silently tend to his wounds, wondering where the river would take them. She'd never admit it, but deep down Katara was beginning to like the arrogant prince.

A/N—Please read and review if you want updates.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N—Please read and review if you want updates. Pilot chapter #2.

Chapter 2 

"You know, you should probably take a break before you pass out again," yawned Katara as she woke up and saw Zuko firebending again. It had been a week since the day they escaped Zula, and most of Zuko's wounds had at least partially healed.

"No," Zuko grunted abruptly, as he continued to practice his stances. Katara rolled her eyes; for some reason, she admired what he was doing, especially in the shape he was still in. There was no way he could have been back to full health, not after passing out in that boat and waking up twenty hours later. _'He must have really pushed his body to its breaking point,'_ she had thought to herself. Since that day, their plan had been to journey north to avoid Zula and hopefully find a village.

"You know, you're going to end up setting the whole forest on fire," Katara said matter-of-factly as she stood up. She didn't actually believe her statement because she had witnessed Zuko's impeccable aim for the past few days. Not to mention he was smarter than that and knew when and when not to firebend. She just said it in hopes of starting a conversation with the quiet prince.

"So be it." He was always so heartless and cruel in his statements. _'But his eyes betray him,'_ she thought to herself. _'I know he cares. It's not a weakness, Prince Zuko.'_

"Are you ready to leave?" she asked, hoping that they would reach a village today. Without saying a word, he used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off of his brow and walked ahead; it was his way of saying yes.

They silently walked on a dirt trail, trees lining both sides. This had been their daily routine for the past week; Katara would wake up to see Zuko training, and the two would journey on. They had been through grasslands and forests but had not reached any form of civilization. For the most part, it had been uneventful. They would stop at nightfall to rest; well, at least Katara would rest, usually falling asleep while the Prince still trained. She had tried to make conversation numerous times, despite the fact that she openly disliked the Prince for both being fire nation and hunting Aang—not to mention he was selfish, egotistical, self-centered…and strong, both physically and mentally. He wasn't the most beautiful person, the scar burned deep into his face made that impossible. He had harsh brown eyes which hid the soft, caring ones that Katara had initially seen.

"So…do you think we'll find anything today?" To her surprise, Zuko actually replied.

"Maybe. I have a gut instinct that we're headed towards a village." Those instincts—her brother had them. They were usually wrong, except for the time they met Jet. Boy was he right then. Zuko, on the other hand, seemed to be the polar opposite of her brother. He wasn't carefree or petty—his father had made sure of that. As if on cue, they saw a group of kids playing in the distance. As they approached, they began to see the small houses with people bustling about.

"Wow, you were right on about that," she said, with a hint of admiration. He nodded in response. As they entered the wooden gates, an elderly man greeted them.

"Are you two a wandering couple?" Before Katara could reply, Zuko respectfully began speaking.

"Yes, elder. We are trying to found our way home; we got lost at sea and have no supplies and request supplies and sanctuary. I can pay you for your services." The old man smiled brightly. _'Such a respectful young man,'_ he thought to himself. _'Not many of those left in the world…not in these times. No wonder he found himself such a beautiful lover.'_

"Nonsense, my boy. I'd be ashamed to take your money; in these dark times, we must stick together. Here, I'll take you to my house for some food. You must be starving."

"Thank you, sir." Zuko gave a slight bow as the old man walked towards his house, Zuko and Katara following close behind. She was quite stunned, both at Zuko's respectful speech and the fact that he called them a couple. It wasn't that she particularly minded, not deep down anyway. On the surface she was trying her best to be angry. They entered his house, which was a small, comfortable abode. Katara took a seat, and Zuko pulled up next to her and slung an arm over her shoulder. She jumped slightly but kept under control for the most part. The old smiled at them before speaking.

"I hope you like corn cakes. It's all I have right now. We've…had trouble getting food ever since the fire nation raided us." Zuko cast his eyes downward.

"We would be honored," he said quietly, "and thank you." The man quietly left the room and began making the food, attributing Zuko's sudden glumness to the boy's own tragedy involving the fire nation that he was reminded of.

"A couple?" Katara asked through clenched teeth, making sure the man couldn't hear her. Zuko had removed his arm from her shoulder.

"It saves a lot of questions." Straight and to the point.

"But…" she wasn't sure where to start. "That's disgusting," she contemptuously finished.

"Live with it," Zuko said bitterly. "You think I like pretending to be your boyfriend?"

"Better than having to be the girlfriend of a bitter and hateful Prince." He turned his head towards her.

"I wouldn't even be seen with a lowly peasant in my nation."

"Oh yea? And what nation is that now?" She hit a sore spot, and she knew it. Anger flashed through Zuko's eyes, but the old man came in with the food just in time.

"Fresh from the fire. I hope you enjoy them."

"Thank you."

"Yes, we really appreciate your help. May we learn your name?" asked Katara, doing her best to ignore Zuko.

"I am Heero, and this is Arnis Village. We are part of the earth kingdom, though we have no benders left. The fire nation took them away. Ever since then, farming has been incredibly harder." Katara had seen a village like this one before.

"Where have they taken the earth benders?" The old man shrugged, but Zuko answered.

"They are now deep in the fire nation. A few months ago, a group of earth benders successfully rebelled against their fire nation captors. My fath—my uncle told me that the Fire Lord is not risking any more rebellion."

"Ah yes, I have heard about that rebellion; don't tell anyone, but that story is an inspiration to our village," the old man said quietly. "It gives the people hope—a fool's hope mind you—but hope is all we have left in these dark times."

"Don't worry; everything will be okay," comforted Katara. It was almost humorous, and the old man actually smiled. _'So young…so full of life. If only everyone in the world were like this…we'd have a chance against the Fire Nation,' _he thought to himself.

"Thank you." They ate their food in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Zuko was the first to speak.

"I thank you again for your hospitality, but my love," and Katara bristled, "and I have to head off."

"So soon?"

"There are dangerous people after us," he said darkly.

"Ah, I understand; but you must see the village Elder first. I will take you to him." Zuko bowed and followed the man; Katara followed suit and slipped her hand in Zuko's. He growled at her, but she didn't let go. He hated it when things weren't on his terms.

"I'm sorry about my…earlier statement," Katara whispered to him. She was referring to Zuko's lack of home, which she knew hit deep.

"Shut up peasant." All of her sympathy flew out the window as she let go of his hand. A few minutes later, they mercifully arrived at the village Elder's house.

"Go in; he's expecting you."

"Once again, thank you. We will repay you one day; I promise." They slowly walked in and sat across from a very old man who stared intently at Zuko and particularly his scar.

"Thank you for seeing us," said Katara, bowing to the elder. He didn't reply as he continued staring at Zuko.

"Agna-kai."

"What?" asked Katara in confusion.

"You are Prince Zuko, are you not?" Surprised, Zuko dumbly nodded. _'How did he know about the agna-kai…unless…he's fire nation!"_ He jumped up with hands flaming. Katara yelled in surprise. "Sit down, young Zuko. I am not fire nation and if I were, I'd be too old to be a danger to anyone."

"Tell that to the ruler of the earth kingdom. Rumor has it he has the power of ten earth benders and is over a hundred years old." The elder sighed. Young kids these days.

"I have lived in this village my whole life; I was ten years old when the fire nation attacked us, killing my parents and younger brother," the elder said sadly. "Time does not erase all wounds, Prince Zuko, but it does provide us with unexpected meetings. You see, I met young Iroh about twenty years ago looking for sanctuary." Zuko stifled the flames a little at the mention of his uncle's name. "I know of the agna-kai and your scar from your uncle, who keeps me updated on fire nation movements when he can. How else do you think this village still has any food after the last raid?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Well, do you know any other man who could empty out my entire tea reserve in a month?" Zuko growled; not many people knew that about his uncle.

"Okay." He cautiously sat down.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on?" asked a confused Katara.

"In time, young water bender. For now, I'd appreciate it if you dropped the façade of a happy couple." _'What? How did he know I was a water bender? And that Zuko and I weren't a couple?'_ "I know what you seek; you both want the Avatar but for completely different reasons. To achieve your goal, you two must stay together."

"What? I refuse to journey with this peasant! As soon as we get to a big city, we're parting ways." The elder calmly replied to Zuko's outburst.

"There is more to this "peasant" than meets the eye, Zuko." He turned to Katara. "Just like there is more to this snobbish prince than meets the eye." The two looked at each other before turning back to the elder. "In peaceful times, the two of you might have become the best of friends or even lovers. However, these are desperate times, but I believe you two will soon forge a bond that will be remembered throughout history—if you stay together." Zuko and Katara both made disgusted faces at each other. "Think about it; without Prince Zuko, Zula would have killed you, Katara, and without Katara, Zula would have killed you, Zuko."

"How do you know this?" gasped Zuko.

"In a way, I've become a fortune teller, not to mention that I've been having prophetic dreams lately. That is how I knew you would come and why I sent Heero to greet you; but let's not waste anymore time explaining ourselves to each other. You need to stay together, at whatever cost." He turned to Zuko. "I know you hate Katara because you think she's a self-centered, naïve peasant who has been nothing but a hindrance to your goal." He then turned to Katara. "In turn, I know you hate Zuko because he has not only hunted the Avatar for months, but you also consider him a bitter, spoiled prince. I will tell you now that neither of you are right about the other, and until you figure out why, you will continue to hate each other. Ignorance breeds nothing but hatred and fear. Isn't that what your uncle used to tell you, Prince Zuko?"

"Yes, elder."

"And Katara, your grandma found the courage to break from traditional water tribe customs. Surely you can put aside your differences to journey with Prince Zuko."

"Yes, elder."

"Good. Then it's settled. I will provide you with traveling necessities for your journey. Remember, you two must stay together, or you will be destroyed."

X.X 


End file.
